Get ready folks it’s less than 8 months away get thrilled for tired and toxic debate, shrill partisan outrage and bad memes

who will be this nations top dog?

I’m expecting a Red-Green coalition to scrape past 50%, NZF to die and National to breathe down the left wings narrow margin’s neck. Act with 2 seats, and the very minor parties (including my beloved TOP) to fail miserably. Also expect both referendums to pass, euthanasia by ~80% yes, weed by ~55% yes

As the title says, what games never clicked for you even though on paper they should be for you?

For me:

The Binding of Issac: I love rouge-likes with random generating levels, shit loads of items, tight gameplay and a good challenge. Issac is all of this and I play load of rouge-likes similar to it. Yet it never clicked for me. Tried it on PS4, PS Vita, and PC for like 30+ hours at this point but I just don't gel with it even though it should.

Borderlands 2: An RPG like FPS with tons of cool guns, coop, loads of enemies, open world, and multiple character classes. Sounds like me, but never could get into it. Played it on PC, PS3, Xbox, and forced a playthrough of it on PS Vita. Maybe 30 hours in it? I have the handsome collection on PS4 as well but haven't touched it.

Monster Hunter: Hunt big old dinos with mates with loads of different weapons and on cool maps and such. Should be me all over, but the core gameplay never quite clicks for me. Its slow and heavy and everything feels lumbering. Can take ages to get hits off, easy to get interrupted, can be frustrating. I know this i part of the appeal as well though as it feels good once you get shit right. Put in like 60 hours on PSP titles, and 15 hours on the new one on PS4. Not for me :(

This post will be split into actual 2019 game releases, and then just games I played in general this year. By my count I played 24 games this year. I know I played more, but these are the games I put enough time into that I have enough stats to track them.

My Top 10 2019 Games

In order.

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Summed up well enough from a Steam review: From Software's love letter to Dex builds.

Incredible game. Well not 100% part of the Soulsborne series, it stands on its own as being just as challenging and memorable. Hardest game I think I've ever play, but so rewarding and such satisfaction from nailing the core gameplay. The first proper boss you encounter in the story took me 8-10 hours over 1 week to beat. Once I did though, my skills were honed and it set me up for the rest of the game. I didn't struggle again like I did there until the last boss which took me a few hours to beat.

The second life mechanic, posture mechanic (replacing/acting like stamina from Dark Souls), and gameplay were so tight it just made for the most GAME experience of this year for me. It was just so excellent. Everything about the gameplay was so well polished, and you had to be engaged and alert the whole time. Any enemies could fuck you up and end you just as quickly as any boss could. You would walk into regular enemies being slightly full of yourself after a boss just to get steamrolled cause you thought you could take them out easy.

The graphics are their best to date, the music was and sound effects were tense and created a great atmosphere against the background of ancient Japan. I could gush further but you get the point.

10/10 for gameplay alone, and my personal GOTY for 2019.

2. Risk of Rain 2

The sequel to one of my favorite indie games from a few years back. The only game in (recent) memory that I know of that has pulled off switching from 2D to 3D while completely keeping intact the core gameplay experience. It's exactly like the first game but now in 3D and its fucking awesome. This is my multiplayer game of the year, and the second game I put the most time into and 130+ hours currently.

Everything about it is awesome: the levels, items, characters, bosses, EVERYTHING. And while technically still early access, the devs have a road map and have already released 3 out of their 5 content patches before they go full v1.0 release early next year. Crack as all hell gameplay makes this one of my favorite games ever. Grab 3 other mates and have a jam.

Shoutout to Loader, Engineer, and Artificer for being my fav characters.

11/10

3. Wargroove

A true spiritual successor to Advance Wars after all these years. Sure we still have Fire Emblem, but nothing that has the multiplayer gameplay and graphical aesthetic as Advance Wars had until now. Made by Chucklefish (the guys that do Starbound) and released for PC and Switch earlier this year, this game somehow flew entirely below my radar. I never heard about it until it was almost out. And then boy, I was hype. Big fan of Advanced Wars (and the "Wars" series in general) and I was so happy to see thats exactly the kind of game they were going for while being entirely original with the setting, their own mechanics, and units.

Right off the bat I loved the medievil fantasy setting, and hearing about it campaign mode, local multiplayer, online, and custom maps and campaigns had me sold. I picked it up with a few other mates and we proceeded to play many online games for 4-5 months straight. It's my most played game this year at 160+ hours so far. Great game with loads of content and best played with mates online. I love that its async so you can commit to games and do a few turns a day depending on how quickly you want the game to move.

10/10 can't wait for the free expansion coming out soon

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake

Although I have never played it through and through, I've always loved Links Awakening on Game Boy. Its a really charming game with an entirely different setting and end goal than your traditional Zelda games. It's from the classic top down dungeon crawling with an overworld map era of Zelda games, so when I heard it was getting a remake it had my attention.

The remake was done fantastically. Using a toy-like graphical aesthetic to make the world look like its a diorama is so cool. Yet its a beat-for-beat remake of the original keeping all the same charm and gameplay with so good QOL fixes for good measure. Just an all around good time. Super charming, relaxing as when in the overworld with the dope soundtrack, but challenging enough at times. Still a little too obtuse as well, but i think that's more because they remade the game 1:1. There's alot that's hard to figure out by yourself with only vague clues to go by from the games hint system. It's a problem of older games however. I would highly recommend it either way.

9/10

5. Slay the Spire

This game is so dam good. While it technically came out last year, it left early access and went v1.0 early this year. So im counting it as a 2019 release. Its quickly becoming an addiction and such a great deck builder rouge-like. Like any decent rouge-like game, the core gameplay loop is where its at. Slay the Spire is great for killing any amount of time and I appreciate the unusual rouge-like feature of being able to suspend your run if you have to leave or go do something else.

The 3 characters are so well thought out and balanced. I love playing The Defect the most because of his fun mechanics and orb powers. I'm still yet to get the last few unlocks for each characters to have complete decks, and I am still yet to beat the "final" bosses (i know there is a final proper hidden boss).

If you even remotely like deck builders and/or rouge-likes then this is a must play game. I regret waiting until it was cheaper through HumbleBundle. This a game is worth full price and if I had played it more by now it would probably be my no.2 this year.

11/10 anyone who doesn't like this game is a chump

6. Luigi's Mansion 3

Owning a Switch has given me access and new-found respect for almost all of Nintendo's game franchises. They are all so good and this gen Switch has been on fire with its quality AAA first party releases. I've always heard of Luigi's Mansion and I know its a fan favorite that eventually got a sequel that proved its popularity to warrant making a 3rd without a giant wait.

I only just finished this game yesterday and I really loved it. It's so charming and spooky. Luigi is so well animated and expressive with his movements and facials. It has Ghost Busters like gameplay and while the game wasn't too challenging, its undeniably so fun and I loved every minute of it. It starts of with some regular hotel levels to explore: the foyer, rooms and suites, a department store etc. but then its levels get themes and become so cool as each floor is entirely different from the last. I loved the Medievil level, Egyptian level, and Plant level to name a few.

Only complaints I really have with it is that the levels get shorter and shorter as you go on, with a few of the levels towards the end just being bosses and not levels really. It also has some unnecessary padding (im looking at you, Polterkitty) in places and it also introduces a new mechanics right towards the end which is used exactly 1 time and just fells like a waste. Maybe the devs didn't think of any other levels for it, but it totally goes to waste and wasn't really needed if that was the case.

Solid 8/10

7. Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled

A fantastic remake made with so much love and care of one of my favorite childhood games. It's the ultimate kart racer game, and easily blows Mariokart 8 away with its content, decent gameplay mechanics, actual skill level, and 6 MONTHS OF FREE CONTENT UPDATES, MAPS, AND CHARACTERS.

Seriously, such a great remake. Fucking right on the mark. Allows you to have the original soundtrack play over everything and through free content updates they have nearly brought in every Crash Bandicoot game character as a racer, even Spyro has made an appearance! Campaign is great, and there are so many game modes that can be played local or online. Great wealth of content. I've put in 50 hours easily by now and played loads of local and online multiplayer with my mates. Fantastic party game.

10/10 booooy

8. Untitled Goose Game

Short but fun game thats been getting some hype for awhile. It really is charming and a great time to dick around as Goose and ruin the towns peoples day. Its a sort of a stealth/puzzle hybrid with a great piano sound track which kicks in once you cause any notable mischief. A must play for sure, but can be knocked out in a heartbeat as its only a couple hours long.

8/Honk

9. Katana Zero

Only recently picked up this one and its like a blend between Hotline Miami and Deadbolt. Like Hotline Miami it has a pumping sound track and great aesthetic to match. The instant death and repeat of levels has you testing your skills the same way Hotline Miami did: die, try again, get a little further, repeat.

The slow down time mechanic makes for great executions and makes you feel like a Matrix badass when you reflect bullets and then cut-down the next guys in front of you. Great fast paced gameplay and tight controls really make this game. Great story too. A great visual trip.

Im right at the end, and it's not a long game, but not one to sleep on either. It's currently on sale, go get it.

8/10

10. Death Stranding

What a fucking disappointment I can't believe its JUST WALKING.

A truly unforgettable game.

5/10 I've had enough of Hideo's edgy game bullshit.

The rest of 2019:

Medievil - never finsihed it, but another 1:1 remake with the original which I appreciate.

Blood and Truth - average VR game.

Shakedown Hawaii - shamefully, I never finished this. Great game from what I played.

Killer Queen Black - the hit arcade game comes home. Grab some mates and two copies of the game and have a great time.

Roof Rage - smash bros for 20$ with great pixel graphics and tight gameplay. I really dig it and so do my mates when we play it.

Not 2019 games I played this year

Spyro remake trilogy - could have sworn this came out this year, but it was already last year. I've only played the first game so far, and its top notch shit. Great remake, really good remade soundtrack, 10/10 for comfyness and casualness.

Strange Brigade - left for dead clone, but great and unique enough in its own right. Played it with SilentSun, its a great coop time.

Cat Quest - wonderfully casual, great graphics aesthetic, fun gameplay, cute as hell. Can't wait to play the second one that recently came out which has coop.

Monster Hunter World - I gave it a good shot, 15 hours or so. The game play still doesn't click for me. I dislike how slow and clunky your character feels and how attacks are so slow to hit and charge. I know this is part of the appeal as it takes some skill to get shit off properly, but it just doesn't jell with me still even thought it should on paper.

SNK Heroines - joke of a fighting game that is a joke gameplay-wise. Really shallow fighter. Got it for $15 so hard to complain on that front.

Overcooked 2 Holiday Special - free content update with Christmas themed levels. Got through them with mates and was great to test those friendships again.

Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3 - One of my favorite game series of all time. I finally picked up DS2 after much nagging from Jargonion and after playing Sekiro. I loved it so much I proceeded to play the entire series which you can read all about here: https://thevideogameforum.com/showthread.php?tid=785

Best summed up though:

DS1 is extremely dated, but still retains the series magic. It's clunky in general, and janky, and some of the level terrain gets you killed by being janky, but is still fun to play. Has some really impressive moments and still holds up well enough to play now. Still a fantastic game.

DS2 is a little different feeling, they tried new things but it didn't always pay off. A lot of people say it has the best PVP of the series though. Most say its the worst of the series, but it's still a fantastic game.

DS3 is the best of the 3 and on par with Bloodborne. Definitely the best of the bunch in smoothness, gameplay, graphics etc. Start here, then go back if you fall in love.

So I was thinking about this when the Time 2019 shortlist of 10 candidates (including Xi Jinping, Jacinda Ardern, Rudy Giuliani, Zuckerberg, Megan Rapinoe) was announced, but since then it's been whittled down to 5 so by the time I finish writing this I bet it'll already have been announced...

The TIME even-shorter-list of 5 for person of the year 2019 is:now remember, this is about most influential rather than most virtuous or whateverbut, like, influence only within the scope of American media coverage I guess but whatever

- Greta Thunberg
(The figurehead for the international climate movement, esp. school strikes etc)

- The Hong Kong Protestors
(An intense movement that has been going on all year and been pretty big in media etc)

I reckon including Nancy Pelosi and the Whistleblower sucks ass, may as well include Mueller and a few others and call it "ineffectual Democrat outrage against Donald Trump", then throw it in the bin and give it to Trump.

BUT I THINK THEY MISSED OUT SOME BETTER OPTIONS HERE IS MY TIME2019 SHORTLIST FOR PERSON OF THE YEAR

JEFFERY EPSTEIN

Him coming into the limelight opened a can of worms that more or less suggests that all people with fame, power and money are either pedophiles or pedophile adjacent

THAT DOG THAT KILLED ABU-BAKR AL BAGHDADI

The good boy overcame the struggles and impostor syndrome from being a dog in a seal team, and ended up killing the sequel to Osama Bin Laden

MADURO

Nicolás Maduro vs Juan Guaidó was the highest profile and longest lasting case this year of American/NATO fuckery in South America

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

His unsuccessful attempt to hold Saudi Arabia to account over the death of Jamal Khashoggi, his wild threats to release 2 million refugees into the European Union, his ineffectual invasion of Kurdish held land, driving them into an alliance with Assad, plus his political precariousness after his party's loss of Ankara and Instanbul, the guy seems to be a bit shit at his job but he's really working hard at it anyway

徳仁

After the sort-of unexpected abdication of Akihito, the era of Hesei gives way to the era of Reiwa, and Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne, Emperor of all of Weebistan

Tell me who YOU think is the PERSON/CONCEPT of the year (there's a poll you can vote in it if you like)

just read my first smut short story in japanese, didn't realise until 1/2way through when the girl gets roped into a tricky situation tied up to a harness and pisses herself while getting basically raped for days on end. award winning author